Last Year's Day of Absence & Day of Presence

Full Schedule of Events!! (PDF)

February 6 and 18, 2009

Re-envision. Re-create. Re-unite.

This year the theme is: Re-envision. Re-create. Re-unite: Re-spark! Recent political events have caused many of us to re-envision how we can harness our individual and community energies to do the work that needs to be done on a locally and around the world.  Sustainability is another aspect of our theme on both an environmental and human level. This includes a healthy social, psychological and spiritual environment that considers diversity as both enriching, essential and ultimately life sustaining.

Respark!

This year you will be seeing lots of “RE!” not just in our themes but also in our materials…even our posters this year are recycled to represent using what we already have to create something new. And, we will once again have an exciting array of learning opportunities on the agenda for both days including some of our own fantastic students, faculty and staff.

This year the highlights include

  Featured lecturer: Raul Anorve serves as Executive Director of The Institute of Popular Education of Southern California and is a leader in the fight for Immigrant Rights. Raul will be speaking at 7:00pm on Day of Presence, Wednesday, February 18th in Lecture Hall 1.

The musical stylings of the wildly popular group Correo Aereo, Austin Music Award winners now based in the NW, the Latin American/World music trio who perform traditional and original music from Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico and beyond.  Correo Aereo will be presenting their educational and cultural Concert on Day of Presence from 1pm to 3pm.

  Workshops on cultural identity, films, meditation and anti-oppression issues including the intersections of race and gender and the internment of Japanese Americans in the early 1940’s.

  A new component this year includes an opportunity for community service on Day of Absence.  

Our committee has been working hard all year to put together an exciting program. More detailed information will be available next week along with opportunities to sign up for workshops. Space is limited so register as soon as you can.